Friday, July 29, 2011

A former player for the New England Patriots is soon going to be opening a fast-serve creperie a few miles south of Gillette Stadium.

According to The Boston Globe, SkyCrepers plans to have a grand opening at the Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro on Thursday, August 4. The person behind the restaurant is Matt Chatham, a linebacker who played for the Patriots from 2000 to 2005, including three Super Bowl teams. The article mentions that other former Patriots players will be at the grand opening, which takes place from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

SkyCrepers will feature crepes, other food items, and 25 gourmet coffee options, according to the Globe.

The address for this new creperie in North Attleboro is: SkyCrepers, 999 S Washington Street, North Attleboro, MA, 02760.

For more information on the opening of SkyCrepers, please go to the Boston Globe link below.

A trio of restaurants are coming to a shopping center in Burlington that is in the process of being redeveloped.

According to the Middlesex Commons Facebook page, Burton's Grill, The Chateau, and Five Guys are coming to the shopping center, which is located on the Middlesex Turnpike a short distance south of Route 128 and the Burlington Mall. Burton's Grill is an upscale eatery, while The Chateau is an Italian restaurant and Five Guys is a burger place. All three restaurants have locations in the Boston area, with Burton's and The Chateau being small local chains, while Five Guys is a rapidly-expanding national chain.

[November 1 update: According to a job post within the Craigslist site, the new Burton's Grill plans to open on December 12.]

[November 16 update: A post from the Middlesex Commons Facebook page indicates that the new Chateau in Burlington is planning to open today.]

[December 11 update: According to the restaurant's Facebook page, the new Burton's Grill in Burlington is planning to open tomorrow (Monday, December 12).]

[March 6, 2012 update: According to their website, the new Five Guys Burgers in Burlington is now open.]

Middlesex Commons used to be the site of the Middlesex Mall, a shopping area that was anchored by a Caldor department store.

For updates on the opening of Burton's Grill, The Chateau, and Five Guys at Middlesex Commons, please go to their Facebook page below.

If the rumor mill is to be believed, the celebrity chef behind a seafood restaurant in Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace may be changing the place into a spot that focuses on high-end beers.

According to The Boston Herald, word is going around that Todd English's Kingfish Hall could become a Belgian-style beer bar, though a call placed to the chef by the newspaper could not confirm--or deny--this rumor. The article does mention that Todd English is a beer lover who recently opened a pub in Boca Raton, and is behind a pub in Las Vegas as well.

This spring, we reported that it looked like Kingfish Hall was in danger of eviction from Faneuil Hall, and that the process of negotiations included a possibility that a change in concept could happen for the space.

The address for Kingfish Hall is: Kingfish Hall, 188 South Market Building, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA, 02109. The website for the restaurant can be found at: http://www.toddenglish.com/

Thursday, July 28, 2011

A Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant with two locations in Boston continues to expand, as a third spot has just opened in the city's Financial District.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, El Triunfo is now open on Broad Street in downtown Boston, joining two other locations of the restaurant on East Berkeley Street in the South End and Prince Street in the North End (the North End location opened this past April). Based on the menus at the other two restaurants, the new El Triunfo in the Financial District will likely be featuring such items as tamales, quesadillas, tacos, papusas, enchiladas, and burritos.

The address for this new restaurant in the Financial District of Boston is: El Triunfo, 71 Broad Street, Boston, MA, 02109. The website for the other locations can be found at: http://www.eltriunfo-boston.com/

A Boston-based chain of restaurants that feature deep-dish pizza is going to be opening one of its new fast-casual pizza spots in Downtown Crossing.

According to Adam's Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog, Uno Due Go plans to open at the corner of Arch Street and Summer Street, bringing to downtown Boston a place to get deep-dish pizza and thin-crust pies as well as soups, salads, panini, and more. The article indicates that the new eatery, which is currently under construction, is the first of its kind in the area, with other locations at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Cleveland State University, and the University of Wisconsin.

Uno Restaurant Holdings filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the winter of 2010, emerging from it about six months later. Several Uno locations have closed in and around the Boston area over the past year and a half, including ones in Allston and Cambridge's Porter Square.

[October 24 update: According to a couple of posters on Twitter as well as the restaurant's Facebook page, Uno Due Go is now open.]

The address for the new Uno Due Go in Downtown Crossing is: Uno Due Go, 52 Summer Street, Boston, MA, 02111. The website for Uno is http://www.unos.com/

A travel news and commentary website that has been in existence since the late 1990s has come out with a list of 50 restaurants in the United States with scenic views, and a Rhode Island spot made the list.

The list put out by Consumer Traveler, which was released yesterday, shows that The Boat House in Tiverton, RI, is the only New England restaurant to be included among the "Top 50 Scenic Restaurant Views." The Boat House looks out at the Sakonnet River from its location within the gates of the Villages on Mount Hope Bay condominium complex, and it has both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu at the eatery tends to focus on seafood, though it does also have chicken and beef dishes, along with sandwiches.

In addition to The Boat House in Tiverton, The Consumer Traveler list includes several dining spots in New York City, including R Lounge at Two Times Square, Robert, The View Restaurant, and Top of the Tower, as well as Water's Edge in Long Island City.

For a look at the complete list, please go to the Consumer Traveler link below.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

A popular restaurant guide has recommended (via a national daily newspaper) a handful of new restaurants in the country that are good places for business travelers, and two Boston-area restaurants are on the list.

According to USA Today, a listing of 14 such restaurants by Zagat Survey at seven business-travel destinations in the United States includes Area Four in Cambridge's Kendall Square and Tico in Boston's Back Bay. Zagat, which lists both spots as being moderate in cost, picked the two restaurants--and others--in part because business meals can be "the most mundane part of a trip," with visits to chain restaurants being all too common.

In addition to Area Four and Tico, Zagat also picked The Dutch and Empellon, both in New York, as well as several others in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Franciso, and Washington, DC.

For a complete listing of the restaurants picked by Zagat, please to to the USA Today link below.

A local company that owns the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain is going public.

According to The Boston Globe, Canton-based Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. begins trading on the NASDAQ market today with an initial public offering of $19 a share, which would give it a market cap of $2.4 billion. The article states that the company, which also owns the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain, had been looking to sell shares of its stock for somewhere between $16 and $18 a share. The three private equity firms that own Dunkin' Brands will each have a controlling interest of 26.1%, according to the Globe.

The trading symbol for Dunkin' Brands is "DNKN."

Dunkin' Donuts, which first opened in 1950 in Quincy, currently has more than 6,500 stores in the United States and approximately 3,000 more shops in 30 countries across the globe. The website for Dunkin' Donuts can be found at http://www.dunkindonuts.com/

For more information on the Dunkin' Brands IPO, please go to the Boston Globe link below.

A new restaurant is coming to Brookline, and it looks like the name (or at least part of it) could be a familiar one to some.

Based on a job post within the Craigslist site, the Putterham Grille and Deli is going to be opening on the West Roxbury Parkway (near the Boston line), moving into the space where Andreas' Mediterranean Cuisine used to be until closing several months ago. According to an earlier article in the Brookline Patch, Andreas' Mediterranean Cuisine was formerly the site of a place called the Putterham Deli, which eventually morphed into Andreas' in the 1990s.

It is not yet known when the Putterham Grille and Deli might open, though the Craigslist page does mention that an open house is currently underway for job applicants, so it could be opening fairly soon.

The address for this upcoming restaurant in Brookline will be: Putterham Grille and Deli, 1012 West Roxbury Parkway, Brookline, MA, 02467.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

[Ed note: This article was updated on July 27 to reflect the name of the restaurant, which will not, in fact, be Kon Asian Bistro.]

An Asian restaurant with locations in Rhode Island and Maine is going to be opening a new dining spot in the western suburbs of Boston.

A message sent to us by Eat.Live.Blog via the Hiddenboston Twitter page indicates that Kon Asian Bistro is planning to open a restaurant in the Arsenal Mall where Ruby Tuesday used to be. This has been confirmed by the Arsenal Mall Twitter page, which informs us that the new spot will be called SE Asian Bistro. Kon Asian Bistro, which is in East Greenwich, RI, and Portland, ME (and soon, Johnston, RI), offers a Pan-Asian menu with a mix of Japanese, Thai, and Chinese fare, with the eateries having hibachi tables. It is not yet known whether SE Asian Bistro will have any similarities to the other locations (such as the Thai section of the menu, for instance); as soon as we find out more information, we will post an update here.

The address for this upcoming Asian spot in the Arsenal Mall will be: SE Asian Bistro, 485 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA, 02472. The website for the Kon Asian Bistro restaurants can be found at http://konasianbistro.com/

The 2011 Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival was held at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT, this past Sunday, and we were fortunate enough to take part in it. The event featured a variety of local cheesemakers as well as brewers, winemakers, food purveyors, and more, with well over 50 booths stationed both inside and outside the Shelburne Farms Coach Barn, which is located on the shores of Lake Champlain.

All of the products sampled were terrific, including the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, the West River Creamery's Cambridge Classic Reserve, the Twig Farm Old Goat, the Grafton Village Cheese Tavern Select, the Vermont Smoke and Cure bacon, the Hill Farmstead Brewery Vera Mae (a honey and dandelion ale), and the Hillis' Sugarbush Farm & Vineyard Maple Ambrosia wine.

A new restaurant and bar is coming to South Boston, moving into the space where a well-known neighborhood seafood spot used to be.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site (and confirmed via Yellowbook, Wolfie's Kitchen And Bar is looking to open on L Street (just south of East Broadway) in Southie, taking over the former Kelly's Landing spot. Kelly's Landing closed last October after being in business since 1927, originally being in the City Point section of the neighborhood until 1974, then on L Street starting in 2004. Little information on Wolfie's Kitchen and Bar is available at the present time, though the Chowhound poster did mention that the interior of the restaurant has looked like it has been ready for weeks, and a sign for Wolfie's went up over the weekend.

[August 8 update: According to posters on both Chowhound and Yelp, Wolfie's Kitchen And Bar in South Boston is now open.]

The address for this new dining and drinking establishment in South Boston is: Wolfie's Kitchen And Bar, 81 L Street, South Boston, MA, 02127.

Friday, July 22, 2011

A chain of steakhouses that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last fall has been sold, and its remaining Eastern Massachusetts locations will continue to stay open.

An email from Berkman PR indicates that Bugaboo Creek is under new ownership by Capitol BC Restaurants LLC, with 12 locations of the restaurants remaining open along the Eastern Corridor. Among the restaurants staying in operation are outlets in Braintree, Methuen, and Milford, as well as a handful of locations in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New York.

Bugaboo Creek filed for bankruptcy in November of 2010, shortly after closing a number of Boston-area locations, including outlets in Brockton, Burlington, Dedham, Framingham, Peabody, and Watertown. (Locations in Plymouth, Shrewsbury, and Seekonk were also shuttered.)

The website for Bugaboo Creek can be found at http://www.bugaboocreek.com/

A new craft brewery has just opened west of Boston, and it will focus on the brewing of lagers.

According to The MetroWest Daily News, Jack's Abby Brewing is now open in Framingham, a few months after signing a lease for warehouse space on Morton Street (one block south of Route 135, just east of the downtown area). The article mentions that three brothers are behind the brewery, with one of the brothers coming from the Boston Beer Works near Boston's North Station, where he was the brewer. The space includes a tasting room and a store, with growlers available for $9 (plus deposit), according to The MetroWest Daily News. Beers available right now at Jack's Abby include a pilsner, an India Pale Lager, a dark black beer, and a Bavarian dark lager.

In addition to the store at the brewery, Jack's Abby beers can also be found at a few local spots, including British Beer Co. in Framingham and Noon Hill Grill in Medfield.

The address for this new brewery in Framingham is: Jack's Abby Brewing, 81 Morton Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. The website can be found at http://jacksabbybrewing.com/

For more information on the opening of Jack's Abby Brewing, please go to the MetroWest Daily News link below.

It appears that one of the biggest sandwich chains in America may be in for some tough times ahead.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Quiznos is on the verge of defaulting on its loans, and has brought on financial advisers to negotiate with its lenders and discuss restructuring options. The article states that increased competition, poor relations with franchise owners, and high rents have all contributed to the dire situation at the Denver-based chain, as well as a leveraged buyout that happened five years ago, when market conditions were significantly better.

Quiznos first started out in Denver more than 30 years ago, eventually expanding throughout the United States, as well as to a number of other countries throughout the world. It currently has about 10 locations in the Boston area.

For more information on this story, please go to the Wall Street Journal article below.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

It looks like the folks who operate vegetarian food trucks (and a bricks-and-mortar restaurant) in Cambridge and Boston are going to be setting up a distribution center/office area and a cafe on the eastern edge of Inman Square in Cambridge.

According to several sources, including The Stevens Group and a poster on Chowhound, Clover Food Lab is planning to move into the space on Cambridge Street where Cafe Casal used to be. The Stevens Group website mentions that Clover is leasing more than 10,000 square feet of space, and that it will include "a commissary and distribution point for the Clover Food Trucks."

Currently, the Clover trucks can be found at MIT in Cambridge, City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston, near South Station along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and at the SoWa Market in the South End. A Clover restaurant is also located in Cambridge's Harvard Square. (Hours for the trucks and the restaurant can be found at http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/?page_id=2248.)

[October 29 update: A note from tifosi.hooverdam.net indicates that the new Clover location on Cambridge Street (called the HUB) has soft-opened. The new spot has a limited menu for now and is currently cash only.]

The address for the new Clover Food Lab is 1075 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139.

A Mediterranean bistro in Salem that has been in business for more than 20 years is shutting its doors, and a new restaurant and bar is moving into the space.

Based on information from a job post on Craigslist as well as a letter posted by North Shore Dish from the restaurant itself, The Lyceum on Church Street will be closing on July 31. The letter notes that the owner of the restaurant is planning to retire, though he will remain a partner in the new dining spot that is replacing it in August, which, according to Craigslist, will be a steakhouse and wine bar.

[August 18 update: The new restaurant, which is now open, is called 43 Church. The menu from its Facebook page shows such items as steak, chops, and classic American dishes including boiled lobster, pan-seared haddock, and free-range chicken.]

The Lyceum first opened in 1989 in an old lecture hall that historic figures such as Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Alexander Graham Bell once visited. The restaurant's menu has included a variety of pasta, seafood, beef, and chicken dishes as well as a raw bar.

The address for The Lyceum (and the new 43 Church) in Salem is 43 Church Street, Salem, MA, 01970. The website for the new restaurant can be found at http://www.43church.com/

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

It looks like a cafe in downtown Boston that focused on Southwest-influenced dishes has closed its doors after being in business for only about four months.

According to a poster on Chowhound, Bella Drew's Cafe on Province Street is shuttered, with "For Sale" signs displayed in the windows. A call to the place seems to confirm this, as their phone is no longer in service, and the "Order Online" section of their website has been taken down.

Bella Drew's Cafe first opened in March of this year, moving into the space where the Chilean eatery Chacarero used to be (the Arch Street location of Chacarero remains open). The now-closed Bella Drew's featured soups, salads, and sandwiches, along with some breakfast dishes.

A Latin American restaurant in Revere has closed, and the people behind it may also be behind a new eatery going into the space, which will apparently be featuring a buffet-style setup.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, La Puerta del Sol on Squire Road (Route 60) has shut its doors, and a sign for a new spot called the Squire Road Buffet will be taking over the space. A check on the City of Revere website confirms this, as a Revere License Commission meeting indicates that the manager of La Puerta del Sol has requested a change of name for the restaurant to the Squire Road Buffet.

La Puerta del Sol first opened in the fall of 2009, moving into the space where the BBQ joint Uncle Pete's Hickory Ribs had been. A mix of Mexican and Central and South American fare was offered at La Puerta del Sol, including such items as tacos, quesadillas, tamales, and pupusas.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A store that focuses on all kinds of honey and honey-based products is going to be opening soon in Cambridge.

According to their website, Follow the Honey plans to open on Mass. Ave. (between Harvard Square and Central Square) on August 20, which happens to be National Honey Bee Day. The shop, which will be open from Wednesday through Sunday, will feature both local and international honeys, as well as other "bee-inspired offerings," including honeyed jewelry and art, honeymoon mead, royal jelly, beeswax soaps and candles, honey skin care and balms, and bee books.

[August 27 update: According to their website, Follow the Honey is now open for business.]

Hours for Follow the Honey will be 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM Thursday through Saturday, and 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM on Sundays.

The address for this new honey store is: Follow the Honey, 1132 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Their website can be found at http://followthehoney.com/

For those of you who have never had Sri Lankan food, there are now a couple of opportunities to try some in the Boston area, as a place called Biryani Park (see our earlier article on it) has opened in Malden, and soon, a Sri Lankan event will be held northwest of Boston and will include a variety of traditional foods from that country.

According to The Sri Lanka Association of New England, the 3rd Annual Sri Lanka Day is coming to Acton on Saturday, August 13 at Nara Park (just west of Route 27 and north of Routes 2A/119) from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The event will include music, dance, arts and crafts, children's activities, and a number of different Sri Lankan foods as well as teas and spices.

The event is free to the public.

Thanks to a poster on Chowhound for initially bringing this to our attention.

Monday, July 18, 2011

A cafe and bistro in Somerville has closed its doors, and a Greek and Mediterranean baking company that is based in Jamaica Plain will be opening a retail outlet in the spot.

According to The Feast and a poster on Chowhound, 3 Little Figs is going to open on Highland Avenue, moving into the space where Aroma Cafe used to be until recently shutting down. The Feast mentions that the 3 Little Figs shop, which is planning to open in early September, will have 18 seats and a little patio outside. Items such as spinach pie, baklava, cinnamon doughnut muffins, gourmet coffee and espresso, and, eventually, salads and sandwiches, will be offered at the new spot.

Presently, 3 Little Figs sells their baked goods at City Feed and Supply in Jamaica Plain (two locations), Mystic Coffee Roaster in Medford, and Voltage Coffee and Art in Cambridge.

[October 28 update: According to their Twitter page, 3 Little Figs is now open in Somerville.]

The address for the now-closed Aroma Cafe (and new 3 Little Figs) is 278 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA, 02143. The website for 3 Little Figs can be found at http://www.3littlefigs.com/3LittleFigs-Tasty_Bakin/Tasty_Bakin.html

A restaurant in Newton Corner that focused on vegan dishes and raw foods has shut its doors after being in business for about two years.

According to the Boston Magazine food blog and Grub Street Boston as well as the restaurant's website, Prana Cafe on Centre Street has decided to close, as the owners are looking to focus on their family, writing and yoga studios. The restaurant, which first opened in August of 2009, featured an eclectic menu that included salads, pizza, tostadas, lasagna, burritos, porridge, and granola.

A popular bakery and retailer that is based in Maine has just opened another retail location in the Boston area.

According to the Boston Public Market Twitter page as well as a poster on Chowhound, When Pigs Fly now has a store on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain. The shop joins other outlets in Brookline and Somerville, as well as locations in Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, Freeport, and York, ME (where their headquarters are). They also recently opened a pizzeria in Kittery. In addition to its shops, When Pigs Fly also sells its breads at markets and stores throughout the Northeast, as well as at Farmers Markets in Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island.

The address for this new bread shop in Jamaica Plain is: When Pigs Fly, 613 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. The website for the company can be found at http://www.sendbread.com/

A dining spot featuring pizza and sandwiches that closed its North End location last year is going to be returning to the neighborhood.

According to a post within the EveryBlock Boston site, Hot Tomatoes Express has received a business license to open on Hanover Street. The address shown indicates that the new eatery plans to open where Lyndell's Bakery had been until closing a little over a month ago (the original location of Lyndell's on Somerville's Ball Square neighborhood remains open, as does its Cambridge location in Central Square).

Hot Tomatoes had been located on North Street in the North End until closing in March of 2010, with its Bedford Street restaurant in downtown Boston remaining open. Based on the name of the new place on Hanover Street (Hot Tomatoes Express), it appears that it may be closer to a pure takeout spot than the Bedford Street location, which has both dine-in and takeout options.

[October 28 update: A call placed to the Bedford Street location of Hot Tomatoes indicates that the new Hanover Street location of Hot Tomatoes Express is now open. Thanks to a poster on the Hiddenboston Twitter page for bringing this to our attention.]

The address for this new restaurant in the North End is: Hot Tomatoes Express, 227 Hanover Street, Boston, MA, 02113. The website for the Bedford Street location can be found at http://www.hottomatoesboston.com/

A restaurant and pub in Allston has been sold, though it will be reopening under new ownership.

According to several sources, including a "spotter" for the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page and one of the owners of the restaurant, the Common Ground on Harvard Avenue was recently sold after being in business for more than 15 years. The eatery is currently shuttered, though the new owner could be reopening the place--whose name will remain the same--sometime this week (keep checking back for updates on this). The folks behind the Common Ground recently opened a new restaurant in the Back Bay called The Salty Pig, and also run Coda in the South End and Canary Square in Jamaica Plain.

[August 3 update: According to their Twitter page, the bar at the Common Ground reopens tonight, with the restaurant reopening tomorrow.]

Over the years, the Common Ground has been known in part as a place to go in Allston for classic American food (including burgers, macaroni and cheese, and pulled pork sandwiches) as well as a variety of beers and cocktails.

The address for this restaurant and bar is: Common Ground, 83 Harvard Avenue, Boston, MA, 02134. The website can be found at http://www.commongroundallston.com/

[Ed note: This article has been updated on July 20, which is the day 94 Mass Ave becomes the Mass Ave Tavern.]

A restaurant near the western edge of Boston's Back Bay has temporarily closed after being in business for only about a half year, and the group behind the eatery is reopening the spot after revamping the interior, updating the menu, and making a slight change to the name.

According to a poster on the Hiddenboston Twitter page as well as another poster on Chowhound, 94 Mass Ave closed its doors over the weekend, with the restaurant mentioning that they will be reopening this week under the name Mass Ave Tavern. 94 Mass Ave, which first opened in late January of this year (replacing Match Burgers and Martinis), has focused mainly on comfort food items such as shaved serrano ham, truffled macaroni and cheese, Kobe beef sliders, lobster tacos, and fried chicken with biscuits. An extensive cocktail list has also been featured at the restaurant.

[July 20 update: Mass Ave Tavern plans to open tonight at 6:00 PM.]

The address for this space is 94 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

A restaurant and sports bar in Allston that recently closed for renovations is going to become a new eatery under the same ownership.

Based on a job posting within the Craigslist site, information from a poster within the Hiddenboston Twitter page, and the restaurant's website itself, the group behind The Joshua Tree on Commonwealth Avenue are going to be opening a neighborhood restaurant and bar called Barley Hall. The new spot will be offering lunch and dinner, as well as an a la carte breakfast on Saturdays and brunch on Sundays.

The folks behind The Joshua Tree also run The Boston Beer Garden near Fenway Park, The Playwright in South Boston, Union Street Restaurant in Newton Centre, and Tavern in the Square in several locations. In addition to these spots, another location of The Joshua Tree remains open in Somerville's Davis Square.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Starting this summer, Boston is setting up 15 new permanent sites for food trucks in several neighborhoods, including the Fenway, Dorchester, the Charlestown Navy Yard, and the Marine Industrial Park. Below are the four aforementioned sites where vendors can be found, as well as which food trucks will be at which locations. (Thanks to the City of Boston for this information.)

Site 10 Fenway – Fenway-bound side of Museum Road between The Fenway and Huntington Avenue, across from School of Museum of Fine Arts and adjacent to MFA surface parking lot

Monday:Lincoln Street Coffee (lunch)Grilled Cheese Nation (dinner)

Tuesday:Mobile Home (lunch)Grilled Cheese Nation (dinner)

Wednesday:Grilled Cheese Nation (lunch)Grilled Cheese Nation (dinner)

Thursday:Mobile Home (lunch)Grilled Cheese Nation (dinner)

Friday:Grilled Cheese Nation (lunch)Grilled Cheese Nation (dinner)

Saturday:Clover (lunch)

Sunday:Clover (lunch)

Site 15 Dorchester– Dorchester Avenue by Ashmont Station, in front of the Carruth

Friday:Staff Meal (lunch)

BRA Site Charlestown Navy Yard – on the plaza by 1st Avenue and 5th Street

Starting this summer, Boston is setting up 15 new permanent sites for food trucks in several neighborhoods, including the South End. Below are the three sites in the South End where vendors can be found, as well as which food trucks will be at which locations. (Thanks to the City of Boston for this information.)

Site 11 – Harrison Avenue at corner of East Concord Street, across from Boston Medical Center

Starting this summer, Boston is setting up 15 new permanent sites for food trucks in several neighborhoods, including around Boston University. Below are the two sites at BU where vendors can be found, as well as which food trucks will be at which locations. (Thanks to the City of Boston for this information.)

Starting this summer, Boston is setting up 15 new permanent sites for food trucks in several neighborhoods, including Bay Village. Below are the two sites in Bay Village where vendors can be found, as well as which food trucks will be at which locations. (Thanks to the City of Boston for this information.)

Starting this summer, Boston is setting up 15 new permanent sites for food trucks in several neighborhoods, including the Back Bay. Below are the four sites in the Back Bay where vendors can be found, as well as which food trucks will be at which locations. (Thanks to the City of Boston for this information.)

A Boston-based food critic will be leaving his job at a local newspaper after being there for more than a decade.

According to Adam's Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog (via CBH Communications), Boston Herald restaurant reviewer Mat Schaffer posts his final restaurant review today (the review is of Temazcal Tequila Cantina on the Boston waterfront), having taken a voluntary buyout package from the newspaper earlier this month. The Fork Lift blog of the Herald mentions that Schaffer has been reviewing restaurants for the newspaper since 1998, and has been doing reviews in general since 1994, including for Food & Wine, Food Illustrated, Gourmet, and other magazines.

Best wishes certainly go out to Mr. Schaffer in any of his future endeavors.

About a year and a half after the closing of a branch of a local restaurant/ice cream chain in Boston's Financial District, it looks like a new restaurant and bar will be moving into the space.

According to a poster on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page as well as another poster on the Chowhound site, Slate Bar & Grill is planning to open on High Street, taking over the spot where Brigham's had been until closing in late 2009 (the Brigham's chain subsequently filed for bankruptcy a short time later). A website for the new dining spot and watering hole is up, but the site is apparently under construction and has no information at this point in time.

[January 19, 2012 update: A bit more information on Slate Bar & Grill--according to a couple of posters on the Hiddenboston Twitter page, the paper has been taken down from the windows, with one poster also saying that the bar is up and the chairs and tables are in, with a mid-February opening looking like a possibility. We will try to confirm an exact opening date over the coming days, so keep checking back for updates.]

[February 17, 2012 update: A phone call placed to Slate Bar & Grill indicates that they are now open for business, with their official opening being on Monday, February 20.]

The address for this new restaurant and bar in the Financial District is: Slate Bar & Grill, 109 High Street, Boston, MA, 02110. The website will be at http://www.slatebarandgrill.com/

Thursday, July 14, 2011

[Ed note: This article was updated on January 2 and 3 to reflect new information on the exact location of the place.]

A quick-service Middle Eastern eatery in Washington, DC that got its inspiration from falafel shops in The Netherlands is planning to open a new location in the Boston area.

According to the Washington City Paper (and confirmed by the restaurant's website), the Amsterdam Falafelshop in the Adams Morgan section of Washington is looking to franchise another shop in Boston. Currently, the owner of the proposed Boston location is looking for a place to set up the dining spot, so it is not known where it will be located, or if it will even happen for sure, so keep checking back for updates.

[January 2, 2012 update: According to posters on Chowhound and Davis Square LiveJournal, it appears that the Amsterdam Falafelshop is looking to open where Diva Lounge in Somerville's Davis Square has been. It appears that the restaurant side of Diva will remain open.]

[January 3, 2012 update: The above update has been confirmed--according to their Twitter and Facebook pages, the Amsterdam Falafelshop will indeed be opening in Davis Square, with an expected opening date sometime in the summer.]

The Amsterdam Falafelshop features falafel sandwiches that have a mix of European and Middle Eastern influences and include such sauces and toppings as red pepper, jalapeno, tahini, garlic parsley, and peanut. Salads and pickles are also offered, as are fries, which can be ordered with traditional Dutch mayo, malt vinegar, homemade peanut sauce, and Old Bay seasoning.

The website for the Amsterdam Falafelshop can be found at http://www.falafelshop.com/

A well-known restaurant in the Davis Square section of Somerville that features BBQ and Southern-style fare is getting ready to take their food on the road.

According to the Boston Redevelopment Authority website, Redbones will soon have a food truck in Boston. The Chester Street eatery, which features such items as pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies, ribs, brisket, and catfish, could be on the road as early as next week, according to The Boston Globe, though we are still trying to find out if they will be at one particular spot or moving around to a number of places (the Boston Redevelopment Authority article mentions that there will be 15 permanent locations for food trucks within the Boston city limits).

[July 15 update: An email sent to us from the City of Boston indicates that for the time being, the Redbones food truck will be stationed at a few different spots in the Back Bay of Boston. Locations will include both Boylston Street (in front of the Boston Public Library) and Clarendon Street between Newbury and Boylston Streets (in front of TD Bank) on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Stuart Street at the corner of Trinity Place (in front of the 100 Clarendon Street Garage) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It is possible that this could change at some point, but for now, this is where Redbones will be starting next week.]

The address for the bricks-and-mortar location of Redbones in Davis Square is: Redbones, 55 Chester Street, Somerville, MA, 02144. The phone number is (617) 628-2200. And their website can be found at http://www.redbones.com/

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

A national chain of frozen yogurt shops continues to expand through the Boston area, with a new location soon coming to the western suburbs of the city.

According to The Wellesley Patch, Pinkberry plans to open at Linden Square, making this the fifth outlet to open in the area (the other four being in Hingham, the Back Bay [2 of them], and Harvard Square). The Patch article mentions that the new Pinkberry in Wellesley expects to open sometime in the summer, while the Pinkberry Facebook page indicates that it may be opening sometime around late July or early August.

[August 2 update: An email sent to us by CBH Communications indicates that the new Pinkberry will be having a grand opening party on Thursday evening (August 4) from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.]

Pinkberry features a number of different frozen yogurts, including chocolate, pomegranate, and green tea, along with a variety of different toppings. Customers can also choose from smoothies and fruit parfaits.

The Swellesley Report states that the address for the new Pinkberry will be: Pinkberry, 180 Linden Street, Wellesley, MA, 02482. The website for the Pinkberry chain can be found at http://www.pinkberry.com/

A new Vietnamese and Thai restaurant has just opened within the "restaurant row" section of Waltham.

According to a poster on Chowhound, Pho & Spice is now open on Moody Street, with the poster stating that the ownership is the same as that of Pho 'n Rice on Beacon Street in Somerville (we are still trying to confirm this). An earlier post on the Brand New Watch/Wicked Local blog mentions that Pho & is located in the spot where China Star II used to be, near the Maple Street/High Street intersection.

If Pho & Spice is indeed connected to Pho and Rice in Somerville, expect to find such dishes as steamed vermicelli, pho, rice plates, curry dishes, and stir-fried noodles at this spot.

A quick-service Mexican restaurant featuring tacos and burritos is planning to open a new spot in downtown Boston, moving into an historic landmark that dates back to the early 1700s.

According to The Boston Globe, Chipotle Mexican Grill is looking to open within the Old Corner Bookstore building at the corner of Washington Street and School Street, moving into a now-vacant section of the structure, which is the oldest commercial building in the city. The article mentions that the new location of the Mexican chain could be open by the end of 2011, which will make it the second location in Boston (the other being on Summer Street near South Station).

In the past, the Old Corner Bookstore has been used for publishing businesses, food places, a clothing store, a cigar shop, a jewelry store, and more recently, the Globe Corner Bookstore, which moved to Cambridge's Harvard Square (which just closed, by the way).

For more information on this story, please go to the Boston Globe link below.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dining spot in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston is closing its doors, though its sister restaurants will remain open.

According to a poster on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page, Sami's Wrap 'n' Roll at the Longwood Galleria food court is going to close on July 15 (a call placed to Sami's has indeed confirmed that it is shutting down). Both the person at Sami's and the Facebook poster mentioned that the Sami's cart at nearby Avenue Louis Pasteur and the Sami's Wrap 'n' Roll location on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain will continue to be in operation.

Since opening about five years ago, Sami's at the Longwood Galleria has featured such Middle Eastern items as falafel, grape leaves, hommous, baba ghanoosh, shawarma, gyros, kafta, kebobs, and more. It has served breakfast, lunch, and dinner on weekdays, and breakfast and lunch only on weekends.

A new food truck is now open for business, and it is stationed over by the South Boston Waterfront.

According to their Facebook page, Pennypacker's opened this week at the intersection of Tide Street and Northern Avenue in the Marine Industrial Park (just east of the main part of the Seaport District). The food truck will be featuring breakfast and lunch items during the week. Some of the dishes that will be available include breakfast sandwiches, quiche, soups, salads, roast beef sandwiches, egg salad, house-made sausages, and tuna salad.

Hours for Pennypacker's are 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday.

For more information on Pennypacker's, their website can be found at http://www.pennypackersfoodtruck.com/ and their Twitter and Facebook pages can be found at http://twitter.com/#!/Pennypackers and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pennypackers-Food-Truck/170961582915617

A French bistro in Brighton is going through another name change, and this time the name will be a familiar one.

According to their website, Jacky's Table on Commonwealth Avenue is becoming Petit Robert Bistro on July 14--which happens to be Bastille Day--making this the fourth location with this name (in addition to Petit Robert Central in downtown Boston). The restaurant's website mentions that all Jacky's Table discounts and certificates (including Groupons) will continue to be valid after the changeover.

Jacky's Table first opened in June of 2010 under the name Chez Jacky, with the name change to Jacky's Table occurring about two months later.

Other Petit Robert Bistros can be found in the South End, Kenmore Square, and Needham.

The address for this new location of Petit Robert Bistro is: Petit Robert Bistro, 1414 Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton, MA, 02135. Their phone number is (617) 274-8687. And the website for all the Petit Robert Bistro locations (including Petit Robert Central) can be found at http://www.petitrobertbistro.com/

Monday, July 11, 2011

A chili cook-off returns to North-Central Massachusetts this year, with the event being held in August.

According to the International Chili Society website, the Massachusetts State Chili Cook-Off is coming back to Winchendon, with the event taking place on August 6. The competition will include three categories (chili, chili verde, and salsa), with participants competing to represent the state in the World Championship Chili Cook-Off, which will be held in Manchester, NH, starting September 30.

The event takes place at Bentley Field on Murdock Avenue in Winchendon, near the intersection of Routes 202 and 12 and a short distance south of the New Hampshire border).

For more information on the 2011 Massachusetts Chili Cook-Off (including entry fees and cash prize amounts), please go to the link below.

A new casual upscale restaurant has opened in Framingham, and the person behind it also owns a computer store within sight of the place.

According to the Milford Daily News, Top Shelf is now open on Route 9 (Worcester Road) behind PC Healthstop. The article states that the owner of the restaurant, who is also the majority owner of the computer shop as well as another PC Healthstop in Burlington, has moved into the space where Bronzetti's Pizzeria Bar &s Grill used to be until closing this past winter. Top Shelf includes seating for 32 and a bar, and features such dishes as seafood chowder, burgers, filet mignon, lobster quesadillas, lollipop lamb chops, pan-seared scallops, and roasted chicken.

Top Shelf is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, and dinner only on Sundays.

The address for this new restaurant in Framingham is: Top Shelf, 250 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA, 01701. The phone number is (508) 309-3300. And the website can be found at http://topshelfdining.com/

A Japanese restaurant based in the Washington, DC area that features sushi on a conveyor belt is coming to the MetroWest area of Boston.

According to their website, Wasabi is planning to open at the Natick Collection on Route 9 near the Framingham line. Their Facebook page mentions that the new Wasabi in Natick will be set up with a 255-foot conveyor belt that allows diners to pick and choose what types of sushi they want to eat. The belt will have the ability to display more than 300 items at a time, according to the Facebook page.

An article in the MetroWest Daily News indicates that Wasabi, which will also have waiter service for drinks and non-sushi items from the kitchen, is hoping to open on August 5.

Wasabi first started out on 17th Street NW in the Farragut Square section of Washington, DC in 2006, eventually expanding to locations on Pennsylvania Avenue and in Tyons Corner in Virginia.

[August 31 update: Wasabi in Natick is now open.]

The address for this new Japanese restaurant is: Wasabi, 1245 Worcester Street (Route 9), Natick, MA, 01760. The website for all of the Wasabi restaurants can be found at http://www.wasabisushi.com/

About Me

I am a writer, editor, and photographer from Boston, MA, who works in the field of publishing. I have founded two Web sites: Travel Guide of America and Boston's Hidden Restaurants, the latter of which is on track to attract more 1 million people annually. This blog, which is more news-based and also is seen by more than 1 million people each year, is an offshoot of Boston's Hidden Restaurants, which contains a separate blog within the site. I also have a blog called Boston Restaurant Talk, which is an offshoot of the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. To get in touch, either email at hiddenboston@yahoo.com or go to the Boston's Hidden Restaurants contact page at http://hiddenboston.com/contactus.html